Australian Concert Bands

Hey Guys

Been a while since anything was posted on nats

Any news on if a band is going, or not going to nats?

North West have been thrown a curveball for the Nationals. We've received a grant to record a fully professional CD, but it has to be completed soon after the Nationals. Clearly, a recording and the Nationals is a lot to take on in such a short time frame. So as a band, we're yet to decide if we'll do the CD, Nationals or both.

Hey Matt

Put me down for a CD!

Done!

But they're probably about 6 months away...

Wow thats amazing about the CD! Hope nats and the recording all fit in! be sure to post details when the CD is out. last time i saw north west play the sound was just amazing!

Hey Guys

Sooooo.............whos goin?

Im thinking of taking the trip up to see the concert bands and street march on the Saturday.

Be good to meet some other ACB members up there! PM me if ure gonna be there!

Also, if anyone needs a fill in percussionist or trumpteer....

Sorry I won't be there. Just can't do two trips in one year. Will be visiting Townsville in June/July. I would also love to meet some of the Members of the Forum. (Hope you are still heading this way later in the year Ben.)
Bev.

I'll be up there at Brisbane, but playing with a brass band. I had the offer to play with a couple of Concert Bands, but I won't be arriving in Brisbane until Friday afternoon.

If you are there for the street march Ben, I'm belting the cymbals on the march with Parramatta City Brass. We're playing Colonel Bogey.

Parramatta will be doing what a lot of bands do with the street march and that is just turn up because it is compulsary. I doubt if we will even practice marching, so it should be good for a laugh.

I saw the entry list for the concert bands in Brisbane and it's not good. Not one NSW A Grade band, there are 3 Queensland bands I think it is. Three bands in B grade and one of those is Sutherland PCYC, so lets hope they win for NSW
I hope the NSW state has better entries at the end of this year.
I also heard today that the Nationals next year in Sydney are going to be at the Seymour Centre near Sydney University. Anyone hear any different?

Any word on the C and D grade concert bands?

These are the complete concert band entry list for the Nationals in Brisbane Ben... bit sad really.

A Grade Concert
Queensland Wind and Brass, QLD
Queensland Wind Orchestra, QLD
Queensland Youth Orchestra Wind Ensemble, QLD

B Grade Concert
Canberra City Band, NSW
Gold Coast City Brass, QLD
Sutherland PCYC Concert Band, NSW

Junior A Grade Concert
Queensland Youth Orchestra Wind Ensemble, QLD

Junior B Grade Concert
Handsworth Secondary School,(Vancouver)Canada

Junior C Grade Concert
Pine Rivers Combined Bands, QLD

Ouch - thats not good!

With travel being so expensive i can see why there arent more. Plus its seems strange that the concert bands are only on Good Friday night

I think the Good Friday time thing is the stumbling block for a lot of bands. I was talking to Gary Clarke from Hills Academy and he said that's the main reason they were not going. School kids in the band and no school holidays meant they had to cut it a bit fine to be there for Good Friday. Same goes for working people I suppose. They would have to take a day off work to get there.
I heard a long time ago that Queensland couldn't give a stuff about concert bands and this may go somewhere to proving it.

I was just having that same convo with our band secretary about 10 mins ago!

If PMHM Band were to go we would leave in the AM on Good Friday. Get to Brisbane around 4ish , and have to go straight into the contest.

Everyone would be stuffed and the band wouldnt be able to sound as good as it should.

Hopefully the QBA might look to move to a different date. NSWBA seems to have it a bit better organised

They have changed the scheduling of the events quite a lot this year. Brass Bands have previously contested on the Friday. Solos have also been shifted (for some instruments).
I of course don't know their reasoning - perhaps someone from the organising Committee might like to tell us?